Explicit bias is?

• A. Unconscious bias.
• B. Conscious bias.
• C. Bias that cannot be changed.
• D. Bias that only occurs in criminal investigations.

Answer: (B)

Explicit bias is a bias you are aware of and can articulate or justify. It reflects attitudes you consciously endorse, making it a conscious bias rather than something that operates only in the background. You could report or defend these beliefs and even choose actions that align with them because you’ve endorsed them deliberately. In contrast, unconscious bias refers to attitudes that influence judgments without your awareness, which is why it’s called implicit bias. The idea that bias cannot be changed isn’t accurate for explicit bias—these beliefs can be challenged and altered through reflection, education, and corrective practices. And bias isn’t limited to criminal investigations; bias can arise in many contexts, from everyday decisions to lab analyses, interviews, and scene interpretation.